ACA sign Up

[MRG]

Technically that is different. Not to the end user, but technically different. I probably took her comment out of context.

MRG

 

[aja8888]

Just tried to get on:

The system is down at the moment.

We are experiencing technical difficulties and hope to have them resolved soon. Please try again later.
In a hurry? You might be able to apply faster at our Marketplace call center. Call 1-800-318-2596 to talk with one of our trained representatives about applying over the phone.

 

[zinger1457]

Finally got my application approved. The problem I have is the amount of the 'eligible tax credit' that the letter stated I qualified for is obviously incorrect, about twice what I should be getting. Nice problem to have I haven't figured out a way yet to review my application to see what income they used to determine the tax credit. I tried the chat function but they weren't much help, said to appeal the decision if I don't agree with it. When I filled out the application I answered yes to the question "Will your 2014 income be the same as reported in your last tax return?". It never asked me to input the actual dollar amount so I assumed it would grab it from my tax return.

 

[aja8888]

Finally got my application approved. The problem I have is the amount of the 'eligible tax credit' that the letter stated I qualified for is obviously incorrect, about twice what I should be getting. Nice problem to have I haven't figured out a way yet to review my application to see what income they used to determine the tax credit. I tried the chat function but they weren't much help, said to appeal the decision if I don't agree with it. When I filled out the application I answered yes to the question "Will your 2014 income be the same as reported in your last tax return?". It never asked me to input the actual dollar amount so I assumed it would grab it from my tax return.

Our application is not yet approved for completeness (just completed it and waiting). Where did you find or see the tax credit amount applied to you?

also, I have not figured a way to make a copy or review details of the application either.

 

[MRG]

I say the tax credits in the prices quoted for policies, no subsidy information available as of yesterday.

I can't find my enrollment data either. Worse yet I want to change my income to include tax losses. Called was told I must appeal. Think I see a new account and application in my future.

MRG

 

[zinger1457]

Our application is not yet approved for completeness (just completed it and waiting). Where did you find or see the tax credit amount applied to you?

also, I have not figured a way to make a copy or review details of the application either.

After I completed my application an "Eligibility Notice" document showed up on my Application page. It's a pdf document you can download and it states if you were approved and for how much.

 

[zinger1457]

I can't find my enrollment data either. Worse yet I want to change my income to include tax losses. Called was told I must appeal. Think I see a new account and application in my future.

MRG

I did see somewhere that the ability to update your application income information online wouldn't be available until the middle of November.

 

[MRG]

Zinger1457,

Thank you, had not seen it. Of course 'they' have to make it work!

MRG

 

[clifp]

I thought I'd take another stab at the Hawaii exchange. There has been improvements. However I got an system error message during the verfication step. I tried 15 minutes later and it went through. Anyway it looks like after filing out 3 applications, there is hope that this one will be submitted.

 

[jflynn4]

Finally got my application approved. The problem I have is the amount of the 'eligible tax credit' that the letter stated I qualified for is obviously incorrect, about twice what I should be getting. Nice problem to have I haven't figured out a way yet to review my application to see what income they used to determine the tax credit. I tried the chat function but they weren't much help, said to appeal the decision if I don't agree with it. When I filled out the application I answered yes to the question "Will your 2014 income be the same as reported in your last tax return?". It never asked me to input the actual dollar amount so I assumed it would grab it from my tax return.

Before enrolling, you will be asked what portion of the subsidy you'd like to have applied to the premium. You can reduce, at that point, the amount to what you'd like to have credited.

 

[Accidental Retiree]

CoveredCA Update, more or less--and doctors disappearing from network in 2013

Well, the other day I logged in and things looked like they were moving along with my California exchange app--except for the fact that somehow 'they' had reversed the month and day of birthdate for DH and me.

Still, it seemed there was progress.

Then I checked again, yesterday, to "manage verification," and saw that I had a link where I was supposed to upload income information.

I tried that link and got an error message.

I also looked at the plans and saw that the price I was initially given, after anticipated tax credits, had gone from $49 to $75, for the same bronze HSA
plan.

Today there's a step back, and not even the upload link appears. I won't even look at anything else.

I guess Covered CA is still practicing.

And in other insurance news, from my EOB I learned that the 'free' mammogram I had a couple of weeks ago is going to cost me $300+. I've had the same provider and the same plan since January 2011; however, somehow or other, my mammogram provider has dropped out of the network, with no notification to me.

Ditto for my gynecologist, so the doctor I have used for, oh, 10 years or so, as recently as 2012 at no charge for an annual well woman visit, now no longer will provide that under the insurance I've had since 2011. Again, no notification that she is no longer in my network.

So I cancelled my upcoming visit, explaining why, and guess I will look for another doctor, uhm, when the CoveredCA program gets its in-network doctors posted?

Or, I can just bite the bullet and pay out of pocket for my long-term ObGyn.
Yeah, that's what I'll do.

I hope this mess gets sorted out soon.

I am very, very grateful to have had the coverage I had for the many years I had it, and I guess I will look at these new challenges along the lines of what ClifP talked about in another post elsewhere on the forum.

 

[47]

Network/doctor choices in exchanges

This year and probably the next year is going to be a bit rough as all the insurance companies don't have massive (any) amount of data to find out what they will get out of playing in the exchange.

They are either low balling to maximize sign-ups (BC), or bidding high to keep the unwashed masses out (Kaiser, california), or somewhere in between. They are all over the map as they don't even know what their strategy should be.

Their usual plan to confuse and obfuscate has been called out and the market has been flattened out because of the standardization of benefits. The only saving grace for them is that the sand box is still small -- individual market covering only 5% of the total market.

I see the small companies dumping people into the exchange a positive development in making this experiment reach market pricing very quickly as it introduces more people into the pool and also the companies act like bulk buyers with a lot of clout.

One major mechanism through which the market forces act is the doctor choice -- the other being of course the cost. The high price, non-cost effective doctors are going to be ostracized from PPO exchange plans as they don't make sense. They will probably be picked up by HMO plans if they are really good -- but they may have to settle for a Benz instead of a Bentley.

There is certainly going to be a lot of price pressure on the insurers and they cannot afford to take the exchanges lightly in the coming years. The costs *are* going to come down as people flock to the lower cost insurance companies. But it is going to take a couple of years.

When you are cleaning house, there is going to be a little bit of mess and dust. But that's no reason not to.

 

[clifp]

This year and probably the next year is going to be a bit rough as all the insurance companies don't have massive (any) amount of data to find out what they will get out of playing in the exchange.

...
One major mechanism through which the market forces act is the doctor choice -- the other being of course the cost. The high price, non-cost effective doctors are going to be ostracized from PPO exchange plans as they don't make sense. They will probably be picked up by HMO plans if they are really good -- but they may have to settle for a Benz instead of a Bentley.

There is certainly going to be a lot of price pressure on the insurers and they cannot afford to take the exchanges lightly in the coming years. The costs *are* going to come down as people flock to the lower cost insurance companies. But it is going to take a couple of years.

When you are cleaning house, there is going to be a little bit of mess and dust. But that's no reason not to.

While there was a lot I opposed about ACA both on practical and philosophical grounds one of the things I was genuinely excited about was the comparison aspect of the exchanges.

I don't know who was the smart guy that forced financial institutions to publish an APR when they talked about their products, but that guy/gal deserves a medal.

Health case is more complicated, but I am happy they made a stab and simplifying it with the metals designations. There are two other aspects which are very important (although not in Hawaii) the network of providers and the quality of the insurance coverage.

Evidently in most states the insurance companies that didn't score well have pushed the exchanges not to publish the quality rates.

I am curious if anybody who has signed up was aware or used the quality rate system?

 

[Free To Canoe]

I was not aware of the quality ratings. I think they will help me decide on an insurer.

The rankings are published here:
NCQA > HPR 2013-2014

 

[MichaelB]

I was not aware of the quality ratings. I think they will help me decide on an insurer.

The rankings are published here:
NCQA > HPR 2013-2014

Nice link. I added it to the FAQ.

 

[Free To Canoe]

Nice link. I added it to the FAQ.

Thanks for all of your work on the FAQ. What a great resource! Don't know how I missed it so far.

 

[sengsational]

On the flip side, if you are eligible for subsidy and if you are in your 50's (most of us ER's are), it is quite likely that the kids policy is given gratis.

Yes, it costs you ZERO additional dollars as your expenditure is capped at fixed percentage around 9%. If you are already at that level, which is what subsidy-eligible means, adding a person to the policy doesn't cost any thing more. The subsidy just expands to accommodate the increased cost!

That's a slam-dunk for kids that are going to be claimed on the parents' taxes as a dependent, the kid doesn't make any significant money, and is considered in the one "household". But there are some mysterious rules that apply to kids less than 26 that do make money enough to need to file taxes. In this case, the kid would be a hosehold of one, and just the couple would be anothe household. I wish I knew how they determine when the household gets split.

These two FAQ items don't really conflict, but there's a gap:

My wife and I want to cover our 25-year-old son as a dependent on our policy. We have no other children. We don’t claim him as a dependent, he doesn’t live with us, and he has a job. We also have modest income and hope we can qualify for premium tax credits in the Marketplace. Do we have to count our son as a member of our household when we apply? Do we have to count his income when we apply?

No. You and your husband will be counted as a household of two and the income you and he report on your joint tax return will be counted for purposes of determining your eligibility. Your son will be counted separately as a household of one, and his income will be counted separately to determine his eligibility. After the Marketplace decides the amount of premium tax credit each of your “households” are eligible for, the three of you can apply for a family policy offered on the Marketplace and you can apply your combined premium tax credits to reduce what your family has to pay for that policy.

Do my parents have to claim me as a tax dependent for me to be on their health plan to age 26?

No. You do not need to be a tax dependent of your parents to continue to be covered as a dependent on their health plan.

 

[ERhoosier]

I was not aware of the quality ratings. I think they will help me decide on an insurer.

The rankings are published here:
NCQA > HPR 2013-2014

Good link, but depressing. The best HI plan in my area appear to be 400+ in the ratings

 

[47]

That's a slam-dunk for kids that are going to be claimed on the parents' taxes as a dependent, the kid doesn't make any significant money, and is considered in the one "household". But there are some mysterious rules that apply to kids less than 26 that do make money enough to need to file taxes. In this case, the kid would be a household of one, and just the couple would be anothe household. I wish I knew how they determine when the household gets split.

If the kid is a minor, no splitting whatsoever. After that I believe it just has to do with the age of the kid, and most likely the same rules as the kiddie tax rules.

 

[pb4uski]

The governor of Vermont announced today that because the sign up system is so screwed up that they will allow current plans to continue on to March 31, 2014 rather than December 31, 2013. See Shumlin extends deadline for health care exchange

Since my current plan is over $100/month less than the similar 2014 plan, I think I've just saved $300+.

I suspect it is probably just a matter of time before the Obama administration crys uncle and does something similar.

 

[tinlizzy]

I suspect it is probably just a matter of time before the Obama administration crys uncle and does something similar.

I think so, too. Some of the smaller exchange insurers were saying that they are not even coming close to enrolling their break-even number to support the cost of the plans and will be forced to raise the rates of the plans - which would really throw things into a death spiral.

 

[Gatordoc50]

According to CBS, there were 6 people enrolled on day one.

 

[ziggy29]

I think so, too. Some of the smaller exchange insurers were saying that they are not even coming close to enrolling their break-even number to support the cost of the plans and will be forced to raise the rates of the plans - which would really throw things into a death spiral.

It remains to be seen, though, if this is primarily because the glitches are preventing a lot of enrollments. If that's the case, this should eventually resolve itself. If not......

 

[MRG]

Yep, 50% of the insurers in this meto area don't have their ACA networks defined yet. Pretty tough for anyone to judge how this is going, regardless of website issues.

MRG

 

[sengsational]

I was not aware of the quality ratings. I think they will help me decide on an insurer.

The rankings are published here:
NCQA > HPR 2013-2014

Thanks for that link. We have only two companies on the exchange in my county of NC: BCBS and Coventry. Coventry is rated lower, in general, and isn't much less expensive, so I guess I knw who I'll be buying from.